Oops
by AuthorGenesis
Summary: Derpy has an accident and breaks a parcel marked fragile.


The familiar sight of Ponyville's local mailmare could be seen humming happily as her wing opened the lid on her mailbag, and her muzzle briefly vanished into the sack's depths, as she removed the mail for the ponies in the house before whose mailbox she stood. Her other wing pulled open the mailbox's door, as she stuffed the mail within the container. And finally she turned the flag down, having picked up what outgoing mail had been retrieved from the mailbox, prior to her delivering their inbound mail.

Parcel Post, her boss, had given her an unusual way of delivering her mail. Because instead of delivering parcels along with paper mail, he had her deliver all of her paper mail first before coming back to deliver the parcels.

"I don't get it." Derpy muttered. "It just seems so incredibly inefficient and time-consuming to make two trips on one delivery route, instead of one trip. I could get done so much earlier if he'd just let me take parcels with the paper mail." She waved to Octavia Melody, who had briefly paused from watering a lovely plot of Yellow Tulips, Passion flowers and Orange Blossoms to wave to her. "Maybe I should talk with him about it after work."

Much of her shift passed without any mishaps or anything really notable happening. Well, aside from one event that brightened her day. Derpy smiled, as she recalled the memory.

{Earlier that day}

[i][b]"Hiya Derpy!"[/b] Pinkie called cheerfully from Pokey Oaks Memorial Park, a picnic basket jostled unmercifully upon the bounding pink pony's back.

[b]"Hi Pinkie, are you going on a picnic?"[/b]

[b]"Of course! The girls are bringing their favorite picnic treats, and I'm bringing my favorite Triple Fudge Caramel Delights. I had a feeling that I might run into you, and I packed a muffin just for you! You like Lemon Poppy, right?"[/b]

Derpy began salivating just at the mention of a Sugarcube Corner muffin. They weren't as good as hers, but muffin making was a serious business. She couldn't lower her opinion of the ponies that worked there, for making a plethora of pastries and baked goods. [b]"Do I ever! My love for muffins is unmatched!"[/b]

Pinkie giggled, and set the picnic basket on the ground before sticking her muzzle into the basket, before pulling out a paper plate with the muffin placed on it.

Derpy reverently took the plate on her right hoof, as her large golden eyes staring at the delectable treat before her eyes, and she took a large whiff, smelling the faint citrusy aroma of the lemon juice that had been used. Her smile grew larger, before she took a dainty bite of the tantalising pastry, rolling the puffy golden muffin bit around on her tongue, as she savored the tart lemony flavor, but relishing the crunch the poppy seed provided. [b]"Mmm! 'Anks 'Inkie!"[/b]

Pinkie giggled, ecstatic that her friend was enjoying her treat so much. [b]"You're welcome, silly filly! See you later Derpy!"[/b]

Pinkie closed her picnic basket lid, before returning it to its former position on her back, as Pinkie merrily bounded off in the direction of the park, leaving Derpy to blissfully savor her muffiny delight.[/i]

{Back in the present}

Derpy entered the post office though the employees only entrance and went directly to her boss' office.

"Mister Parcel, Sir?" Derpy asked, her voice low, both in volume and her vocal range.

"What is it Derpy?" The elderly yellow-brown stallion asked, not even peering over his bifocals, as he continued to scan, sign and stamp the paperwork that constantly littered his desk.

"Well, it's just, I'd like to deliver the parcels with the paper mail, sir. The current arrangement takes twice as long, and doubles the distance that I'd otherwise travel."

"I'm just trying to make things less awkward, heavy and reduce the likelihood of parcels getting damaged. If you think you can handle both, then by all means. But if I get a complaint from anypony about you damaging the contents of their parcel, then we go back to the current arrangement."

"Yes Sir!" Derpy agreed, her volume increased and her voice higher on her vocal range, expressing her excitement.

{The next day}

It was near the end of her shift, and she only had about a quarter remaining of the mail and parcels she had started with, when she placed a package marked fragile on her back, as she trotted to the house to deliver the parcel. Pipsqueak, running from Snips, Snails, and Featherweight; all wearing bandanas around their heads collided with her, and Derpy could only watch in horror, as she heard the tinkling cacophony of the contents of the parcel being broken.

"Oops. I'm sorry Miss Derpy."

Derpy didn't respond, tears welling up in her eyes, as a strangled sob sounded from the distraught mailmare.

Pipsqueak, sad and not knowing how he could make things better ran off, the other colts hot on his hocks.

Derpy felt a hoof draw her into a hug, as she peered through watery eyes and seeing the light grey coat of Rarity, her eyes expressive with sympathy and compassion, her mulberry colored mane framing her face in stylish curls.

"I saw the whole thing Darling. It wasn't your fault."

"T-that won't change the fact that I'll have to go back to delivering the parcels and paper mail separately once Mister Rich learns that his parcel got damaged and that I was the mail pony responsible for the delivery." Derpy sobbed, her tears matting Rarity's coat.

"I'll go with you for the rest of your route, and we can explain what happened to your boss."

"O-okay." Derpy replied, still looking dejected.

She knocked on the door, placing the parcel on the ground. When nopony answered, she left the package and continued with the remainder of her route, and though she didn't show it, she was immensely grateful for Rarity's company.

{After work}

"—And that's why we have you deliver the parcels separately!" Parcel scolded the mailmare, whose eyes began to issue tears afresh.

"It wasn't her fault, Mister Parcel. It was just a freak accident." Rarity attempted to placate the enraged elderly stallion.

"A freak accident that's going to come out of our insurance!" Parcel yelled in frustration.

"Mister Parcel! Can't you see that she feels terrible enough about it already!? It wasn't even her fault! Must you make her feel worse than she already feels?" Rarity reasoned.

"How she feels! How she feels! What about how I feel! Now we have to spend our insurance money to fix this mess. She was the mail pony responsible for delivering the parcel undamaged! I don't even want to deal with you, Derpy. I've had to clean up too many of your messes already. Break another parcel, and you can start looking for another job." The stallion swiveled in his chair, the high back of the chair greeting their vision, indicating that this meeting was over.

Derpy let herself be herded into Rarity's house, lying on the comfortable chaise longue as Rarity went about making dinner for her guest and herself.

"Don't worry Derpy. You're a kind and cheerful pony, and that's an attractive quality in a pony. I'm sure that even if you were to be fired, you can easily find another job." Rarity tried to cheer Derpy up.

A bowl of vegetable soup floated over to Derpy, who balanced it on one hoof, while using her other hoof to grasp the spoon and ladle the soup into her muzzle.

"But I love delivering the mail. I love seeing the ponies on my route and greeting them, or just even watching them live their lives. I don't want a different job!"

Rarity glanced at the clock, surprised at how much time had passed.

"I'd like it if you'd stay the night. Hopefully things will not seem quite as bleak with the arrival of a new day."

"Thanks Miss Rarity." Derpy murmured.

"Rarity, darling. Friends don't let titles create distance between them." Rarity responded.

"Y-you really want to be my friend?" Derpy asked, her voice wavering slightly, as if she didn't believe what she was hearing.

"But of course, darling. I've only observed you from afar, but I think that from what I've seen, you're not only a mare worth knowing, but to have as a friend as well."

"Thanks, Rarity."

"Think nothing of it Derpy." Rarity smiled, levitating the empty bowls and dirty silverware down into her kitchen, placing them in the sink to be washed later. She clambered into the bed with her new friend, and let the sweet embrace of sleep grip them.


End file.
